For posterity and reference: Here are some quotes I pulled from GameOverCast episode 157. Which included an interview with DeeJ at Gamescom 2013. Much of this information we've already heard from other sources, but here are a few of the stand out quotes. I figured this saves everyone from have having to listen to the whole podcast…
The interview covers:
- Public Event Player Count
- Weapon Customization
- Cross-platform play (no answer given)
- Private Loot Drops
- Loot: uniquely tailored to your character
- Being a Lone Wolf in Destiny's Campaign
- Boss and Boss Battles (vague answer)
- Scaling Difficulty (no answer given)
- Playing with Friends, Varying Player Skill Level
- Idealized Reality. Heroes, not soldiers. Reclaiming, not revenge
- Replay Value, Dynamic World, Context
- Mythic Science Fiction
- Character and Weapons Carry Over to All Activities
- Possibility of Split Screen (no answer given)
[b]GameOverCast: What's the upper maximum of players we are going to see together at one time?[/b]
[quote]DeeJ: "These are details that will emerge later. I can tell you that what we are demonstrating at Gamescom is what we feel differentiates Destiny from games we've created in the past. It is a shared experience, it does take place in a living, social world. While there will be dynamic public events, we want them to be large enough to feel social, to feel interesting, but small enough to make sure that every character is still important to that experience."[/quote]
[b]DeeJ goes on to discuss weapons:[/b]
[quote]DeeJ: "The arsenal of weapons that we're delivering in this game is larger than anything we've ever put in the hands of the player. Destiny is all about the decisions that you will make. The character that you play in this game is of your creation. As you complete you missions and defeat you enemies you will gain new weapons in three different categories. Those weapons all come with upgrades that will unlock over time. So the more you use those weapons, the more dangerous they will become. And the skill trees that accompany those weapons may ask you to favor one strength over another. So while in may appear on the surface that two characters are welding the same weapon, you'll find that those two weapons actual behave in very different ways depending on how they like to fight."[/quote]
[b]GameOverCast: Now we've all played RPGs where loot drops and it's not exciting unless it's a certain color… Is that going to be true in Destiny or is loot going to be relatively rare? So when you do see it, it's automatically wet-your-pants happy?[/b]
[quote]DeeJ: "The loot system in Destiny is the reward system that we build into the game. The loot that drops is intended for you. It's, you could even say, destined for you. Based on your level of progression. It will be weapons that you have yet to earn. It will be elements that might be valuable to other people. It's the way that we will propel you through this universe. It's the way that we will reward you for your bravery. The things that are important to you are, obviously, for you to decide. But, we are going to give players different ways to express their power, different ways to upgrades their builds, different ways to become more powerful over time and the loot system is the vehicle for that evolution."[/quote]
[b]DeeJ continues:[/b]
[quote]DeeJ: "You can not steal another player's loot. The rewards that you earn in playing Destiny bellow to you. And they will be relevant to where you are in that phase of your adventure. So when you win loot, when you earn it by playing this game, it's yours. No one can steal it from you, it will stay on the ground until you decide to pick it up or maybe you move along and don't. But, you will earn loot that is important to your character in that moment in time."[/quote]
[b]He moves on to discuss single player vs co-op:[/b]
[quote]DeeJ: "You will always explore your adventure in a living, social world. Whether or not you put anyone on you fire team is completely up to you. Whether or not you diverge from the path of your own adventure to participate in these public spaces, that is also completely up to you. We will never force you to rely on the assistance of another character to complete the story that exist in Destiny. And there is a great narrative in this game. There is a cinematic experience with a beginning, middle, and end. But we will not force you to align with another player to experience the entirety of that....[/quote]
[b]He then discusses players of varying skill levels:[/b]
[quote]DeeJ: "What I can tell you is, whenever possible we are going to remove obstacles between players that want to play with each other…… Players of varying skill should be able to play this game together. If you are well on your way towards the end of your adventure and you entice a friend to get this game and start playing it. You should be able to play that game with your friend."[/quote]
[b]Destiny's "Idealized Reality":[/b]
[quote]DeeJ: "We really don't see Destiny as gritty or dark. It is a post apocalyptic world that we've created, but even in that environment, there is an opportunity to create a bright and hopeful place. Heroes who face danger, to defend a shining city underneath The Traveler. Humankind is still in a place of dignity and honor in this game. And we are going out into the bones of our shattered civilization to rescue the rewards that are hidden in the rumble. And former cities, former installations have been reclaimed by nature in a way that you may find beautiful…."[/quote]
[b]One character across all activities: [/b]
[quote]DeeJ: " The rewards that you earn in a campaign environment, the character you create and the arsenal that character possesses is absolutely something you will take into competitive multiplayer with you. So the character you create and the person that you embody in this world, that evolves and becomes more dangerous, will impact every single activity that we're building into this game."[/quote]
[b]DeeJ's final thoughts:[/b]
[quote]DeeJ: "We want there to be surprises for you. If you know everything about this game when you get it in your hands there is nothing left to discover…. The game is about solving a mystery. The game is about understanding what happened in our past and securing the treasures, that we can pull out of our past, to safeguard our future. The more I tell you about that, the less interesting this experience becomes. It's not that I don't know. It's not that I don't want you to know. It's that I want you to discover it for yourself. This game is about discovery. It's about exploration. It's about being the hero."[/quote]
For those interested in hearing the entire interview in context, here is a link to the podcast. The Destiny portion starts at roughly 1hr 13mins in.
[url=http://ec.libsyn.com/p/6/6/8/668810255cce3f8b/THEGAMEOVERCAST_EPISODE_157.mp3?d13a76d516d9dec20c3d276ce028ed5089ab1ce3dae902ea1d01c08735d4cc5d105f&c_id=6108575]GameOverCast Episode 157[/url]
[url=http://www.gameovercast.co.uk/index.php?id=home]GameOverCast Website[/url]